Virginia Morris first began studying homemade skin care and aromatherapy over a decade ago to find an alternative means to address her kids’ skin issues such as eczema and psoriasis.
“I wanted to create something natural that would help their skin be more manageable, more healthy,” said Morris. “Anything watered down, anything that had harsh chemicals in it, that’s what I did not want for my children.”
Morris launched Sincerely Skin from her kitchen in 2014. She uses customer feedback to refine the products she developed, including handmade soaps and bath scrubs. Initially, that customer base was comprised mainly of family, friends and neighbors.
“It stayed there for a few years, just telling family and anyone who would refer to me,” said Morris about Sincerely Skin’s early stages. “I would say it hasn’t been until the last two years or a year and a half that I have actually pushed to be on social media, to have a website and to really just get it out there.”
Morris says that a major difference between home-based cosmetics such as what she sells and items one might find at a major retailer is in how they are composed. Because her products are organic, they contain fewer ingredients in richer concentrations, she said.
“I like my products to be based on natural butters like shea butter, cocoa butter, mango butter,” said Morris. “And a lot of carrier oils that are plant based.”
Carrier oils are vegetable oils derived cold-pressing kernels, nuts or seeds to dilute essential oils. They’re often used in skin care, hair care and aromatherapy products. Morris says that the aromatherapy shower steamers, made with essential oils, is one of Sincerely Skin’s biggest sellers. Another popular bath product is the line of handmade vegan soaps.
Morris and her husband, Jeremy Morris, are both veterans. Virginia Morris served in the Marines, and Jeremy served in the Army. Stationed at Fort Gordon, Morris’ husband decided he enjoyed living in the area after leaving the military, and so they stayed.
Handmade vegan soap bars from Sincerely Skin, made with shea butter and olive oil instead of fats. Photo taken from the Sincerely Skin website. 
Shower steamers from Sincerely Skin. Photo taken from its website. One of the skincare products offered by Sincerely Skin are the Sugar Scrubs, emulsified body scrubs made with sucrose and shea butter, among other ingredients, used to help moisturize skin. Photo taken from the Sincerely Skin website.
Since then, they have embedded themselves in the local community through Sincerely Skin. When she first began expanding the business beyond people she knew, Morris says, Belair Donuts was the first retailer that allowed her to sell in its shop. Belair Donuts has locations in Augusta and Grovetown.
“A donut shop allowed me to have my brand in there,” said Morris. “And that was the first place where it started to do very well.”
Since then, Sincerely Skin has also begun selling at Augusta & Co. on Broad Street. Morris’ focus is on expanding retailers and getting the brand’s name out there, and eventually a brick-and-mortar location.
“As we gain more exposure, we hope to get more online sales,” she said. “And once we really see online increase and more popularity in the area, we would be looking to have actual store.”
For more information on Sincerely Skin, visit its website at sincerelyskinproducts.com
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business and community news with The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
